Goodbye
by LaZ Chaos
Summary: At the end of Turn Coat, what was going through Morgan’s head? After all, everything he ever believed in was falling apart all around him. He was losing everything he cared about; everything he fought for. Again, what was going through his head?


**Goodbye**

Summary: At the end of _**Turn Coat**_, what was going through Morgan's head? After all, everything he ever believed in was falling apart all around him. He was losing everything he cared about; everything he fought for. Again, what was going through his head?

Warnings: Major spoilers all the way up to, and the end of, _**Turn Coat**_**. **Also, language, since I'm doing this more in Morgan's point of view.

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After I was accused of murdering LaFortier, I thought long and hard about what was going on. I didn't do it, that's for sure. That was an easy one to figure out, given the scene I stumbled into. The only evidence I thought they had was his body and the eyewitnesses' claims of seeing me standing over his body with the knife. That, in itself, was enough to execute me. More than enough, really. As the White Council's official executioner, I had executed plenty of wizards with a measly amount of evidence that, in the non-magical law system, wouldn't hold up at all. However, then came the six million dollars that was found under my own name. That was where I figured something out. I figured out that the White Council was as tainted as Dresden said it was.

I escaped. While not many people know how, it wasn't exactly a secret, either. Obvious, really. I slipped my bonds overnight, and then overpowered the Warden guarding me. I didn't kill him. Already, the Council was growing weaker with the taint. I didn't need to lower it's forces anymore. I almost managed to escape undetected, but I stumbled upon another pair of Wardens and was forced to take them out, as well. It wasn't easy, I can tell you that. Already, I had been wounded by my guard. These two fought back and the girl stabbed me in the leg with her sword. But I wasn't a captain for nothing, I can tell you that. While my leg hurt like a bitch, I still succeeded in taking the two down. I'm afraid I was forced to injure them more than I'd like to make sure they stayed down and I could escape.

Then, while in the Nevernever, I used my power as an Esquire of Summer to have Queen Titania hide my trail. After a brief, respecting argument, we agreed that she would hide my presence for two days.

After a time, I made it to Dresden's apartment. I banged on the door – more times than my body would have liked – before he answered and I promptly requested him to hide me before I hit the ground.

The next two days were hectic, that much was for sure. Having so many people after my life was hard enough, but to rely on Dresden and his little warlock was the cherry on the cake. It was damned hard to deal with the two of them. Frankly, those two days were shit, in my fair opinion. Just trust me on this. You weren't the one who was being taken care of my a little girl/warlock who also happened to be Dresden's apprentice. It was shit. Just accept that.

So, after my own two days of Hell, I found myself going along with Dresden's insane plan that involved getting all the people who wanted to kill me on one small, uncharted island in the middle of Lake Michigan. That kid was never a genius, I must say. In fact, I'd be claiming he was a world-class idiot. Which he is. Seriously, I'm surrounded by a few hundred creatures that want nothing more than my blood, while under the protection of a little girl with hardly any training. He is an idiot.

Of course, it was easier to go on this suicide mission since I was drugged so much that I felt like I was soaring through the air. Well, no. I was drugged unconscious, but it amounted to the same thing.

Contrary to popular belief, I wasn't unconscious through the majority of the conversation after Dresden and Listens-To-Wind's encounter with the naagloshii, the shape shifter who had followed me to Chicago.

"- to lower the shield, or I will tear it down."

I resisted the urge to open my eyes, recognizing the sound of the woman's voice. Ancient Mai, my drugged brain told me.

A weary cockiness was evident in Dresden's voice as he gave words to his defiance. "Might want to take a few steps back before you do. If anything but the proper sequence takes it apart, it explodes. I'll take out the cottage. And the tower. And the top of the hill," he murmured. I could all but see the grin on his face. "The kid and Morgan should be fine, though."

Way to terrify the girl, Dresden. His apprentice made a soft choking sound and I could feel her fear waft through the small sphere keeping us away from the others. I could still sense the magic, damn it, even though I couldn't see it.

"Hngh. Finally made that idea work, did you?" Wizard McCoy, my mind gathered through the haze of painkillers.

"-that you will bring Morgan to Edinburgh." Ancient Mai, again.

My mind had wandered off slightly, so I missed a bit of the conversation.

"Bring him and bring him unharmed. You have my word."

I hazily wondered at McCoy's words, entertaining the words 'unharmed' slightly. Too late for that, my body scoffed. I was already stuck in the feverish infection of my wounds.

I heard Ancient Mai leave with a few others and I silently wondered who was still there. But I kept feigning sleep, just in case.

I could hear Dresden and Listens-to-Wind talking softly, but I couldn't make out their words. Damned painkillers. McCoy joined in soon after, but even the elderly wizards loud voice couldn't break through the haze of drugs.

"-be somebody at Edinburgh. Cuts the suspect pool down even more," Listens-to-Wind murmured. Back to the real traitor, it seemed.

"But not much. We're getting closer, but it won't do Morgan any good," McCoy commented. "All right, Hoss. I guess we can't put this off any longer."

Apparently Dresden refused, because McCoy continued.

"Hoss, I hate this as much as you do. But as much as you don't like it, as much as I don't like it, Ancient Mai is right about this. The real killer will know that Morgan is innocent-"

My mind faded, once more, and I lost his words.

"I'll try. You can't have him." Dresden's words were touching, but too much for me to accept. I was putting too much on him already. Time to call it quits, I supposed.

I opened my eyes wearily and settled my gaze on Dresden. "Harry," I mumbled softly so he looked up at me. It was the first time I had ever used his first name only. "It's all right."

His shocked face told me more than his soft 'what?' did.

"It's all right," I repeated softly. "I'll go with them."

I glanced over to McCoy, staring at the man's grim expression wearily. "I killed LaFortier. I deceived Dresden into believing my innocence. I'll give you a disposition." McCoy's grim look deepened as I spoke, his eyes matching the weariness in my own grey ones.

"Morgan, what the hell are you doing?"

Poor idiot, I thought, hearing the pain in Dresden's voice. "My duty," I told him, allowing pride to slip into my words. "I've always known that it may call for me to give up my life to protect the Council. And so it has." I ignored his soft murmur of my name, continuing. "You did your best. Despite everything that has gone between us. You put yourself to the hazard again and again for my sake. It was a worthy effort. But it just wasn't to be. No shame in that." My eyes fluttered shut as unconsciousness threatened once more. "You'll learn, if you live long enough. You never win them all." I never win them all, either, as the fever and drugs won the battle I was fighting to stay conscious.

It was horrible when I was dragged into the ceremony hall with my face hooded and my hands bound with coarse rope in front of me. I fought the pain stubbornly, too proud to allow myself to be helped by the two Wardens that were my guards.

"Donald Morgan, have you anything to say in your defense?" the Merlin asked, voice tinged with weariness and pain. The fact that he asked showed his dislike of this whole thing, since the accused never got much of a chance to say anything, let alone try to defend themselves. But I knew what I had to do to keep the Council away from Civil War.

"I do not contest the charges. I, and I alone, am responsible for LaFortier's death," I lied, forcing the words out of my lips so everyone could hear them.

Dresden stepped forward, claiming to have new evidence. I listened dully as he and the Merlin talked an almost staged trial about photographs that Dresden had someone take at the exit of the Way to Chicago.

"-so why don't you tell us what you were doing in the Chicago area last night…" Dresden drawled, drawing things out, "Wizard Peabody?"

My blood boiled, my hands fisting. The rope scraped my wrists, but I was too drugged to care much.

"The end is nigh," Peabody stated clearly a little while later. Glass shattered and I could feel magic twist in the air. Chaos erupted and I heard Dresden's dog give out a bark of warning and Dresden's shout of fear.

"Get back! It's Mordite!"

Then, more chaos broke. I leapt back, taking down one of my guards. The air was knocked out of him and he went down silently. I fumbled with my bound hands before succeeding in drawing the Warden's sword about an inch. As screams of terror and pain filled the air, I rubbed the ropes against the blade. Once free, I tugged off the hood only to be met with darkness. The light was out, apparently. Flashes of light filled the air, the wielder quickly surrounded by the Mordite tendrils and turned to ash.

My eyes, already used to the dark, caught sight of Dresden dash out of the room. I saw Anastasia standing shock still and I hurried to her. Pulling her to the floor and away from the Mordite, I laid her down against the wall. Her eyes were cloudy and unseeing, her lips parted slightly. The manipulation in her mind was active, apparently. "Stay safe, Ana," I whispered to her softly, brushing my lips against hers for the first – and last – time. I didn't have time to marvel at the softness. I quickly ran my hand down to her waist, tugging her gun free from her belt. "Stay safe," I repeated to her, pulling away before getting to my feet and dashing out of the hall.

My leg burned, but I forced myself past the pain. Peabody, the son of a bitch, was destroying the White Council for some unthinkable reason. He caused all of this! He got inside Ana's head and screwed around. He planned this entire thing. He was the reason this Civil War was rearing it's ugly head. He forced me to rely on Dresden and his little Warlock. He…oh, boy, was he going to pay for it. He was going to get back the Hell he forced upon me. Ten-fold, if I could help it.

"The end is nigh!"

I followed Peabody's cries. White hot pain seared through my body – originating at my leg – and I could feel the blood leaking from the stitched up wound. Well, perhaps it wasn't stitched up, anymore. Oh, well. I had more pressing matters to deal with, such as killing that son of a bitch.

Magic twisted in the air and I grinned cruelly, waving my hand out and creating a portal to the Nevernever. I saw Peabody pinning Dresden to the ground, a dagger at the boy's eye. I lifted Ana's gun and fired, twice, so fast it sounded like one sound. Peabody fell, a single bullet hole in his forehead. I could assure you, however, that there were two bullets rolling around in his skull. I don't miss.

My hand shook as the pain came back full-force and I dropped the gun, falling to the ground, myself, with a soft groan. I rested my cheek against the cool ground, panting softly.

I heard Dresden hurry over to me, his own breath harsh. With how much the boy faced his own death, you would have thought he'd be used to it, by now. He turned me over, his hands shaky.

I opened my eyes wearily, looking up at Dresden's pale face and wide eyes. "Got him," I murmured.

"Yeah, you got him." Dresden's voice was soft with shock and weariness.

I grinned a bit, gazing smugly at him. "That's twice I pulled your ass out of the fire," I reminded him.

He let out a laugh that sounded more like a sob. "I know."

Now was the time for the serious stuff. While caged up waiting for execution, I thought a lot about his whole thing. "They'll blame me," I murmured, "there's no confession from Peabody, and I'm a better candidate politically. Let them pin it on me. Don't fight it. I want it."

I heard him let out a soft 'why' and I smiled wearily, letting everything catch up on me. And him. I didn't say anything, just watched him as the wheels turned in his head. Pain flared up my leg, but it was dulling.

"Because you already knew who killed LaFortier," Dresden breathed, voice shaky as he realized the truth. "She was there when you woke up in his chambers. You saw who did it. And you wanted to protect her."

"Anastasia didn't do it," I muttered, voice low. "She was a pawn. Asleep on her feet. She never even knew she was being used," I spat, disgusted. I shuddered softly as I remembered her cloudy eyes and her bloody hands holding the knife. "Should have thought of that. She got put in that younger body, made her mind vulnerable to influence again."

"What happened?"

I sighed softly. "Woke up, LaFortier was dead, and she had the knife. Took it from her, veiled her, and pushed her out the door. Didn't have time to get us both out," I told him,

"So you took the blame thinking you'd sort things out in the aftermath. But you realized that the frame was too good for anyone to believe you when you tried to tell them what's up," Dresden said. Boy, was he spot on. Not the way I'd say it, but spot on nonetheless.

He knew that I'd give my life for Ana. That I was doing just that. That I had done just that. I didn't give a damn about my own life. All I cared about was Ana.

"Dresden," I murmured quietly, looking up at him.

"Yeah?"

I watched him calmly, my breath fading. "I didn't tell anyone about Molly. What she tried to do to Ana. I…I didn't tell." While the girl tried to get inside Ana's head, she did it for a reason. She figured out that Ana was being manipulated. And while I pulled a gun on the girl at the time, I knew she didn't mean harm.

"Do you know why I didn't? Why I came to you?" I asked, my eyes clouding over. I could barely see Dresden anymore.

He shook his head.

"Because I knew," I whispered, voice shaky and breath short. I lifted my hand and Dresden gripped it hard. I couldn't feel his hand. My body was numbing. "I knew that you knew how it felt to be an innocent man hounded by the Wardens."

I couldn't see anymore. I didn't know Dresden's reaction to my words. I couldn't hear, either. Dresden's soft pants were gone. My hand still tingled slightly, meaning he was still gripping it tightly. I let my eyes fall shut and I struggled to keep breathing.

Goodbye, Ana. That was my last thought as my breath ran out. I didn't think about the Council, I didn't think about myself. I thought about her, how she would never return the love I held for her all these years. I thought about her letting me down gently when I was still young, how she refused to allow herself weakness. I thought about how that pain numbed my heart and forced myself to hide behind a mask of indifference and plunge face-first into being the Merlin's guard dog. My lungs fought for air for a moment before everything vanished.

Goodbye, Ana.

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_**After reading **_**Turn Coat**_** two days ago – seriously, I finished the entire book start to finish that morning to that night – I decided to write a Morgan-fic. From what I can tell, fanfiction doesn't have ANY! That was just wrong, so I wrote this. I might write more about him, I'm not sure.**_

_**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. And I'm sorry for all the dialogue from the book. As much as I like to create my own, I needed those scenes.**_

_**Please Comment!**_

_**- LaZ**_


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